Light Forms

Light Forms

Photography by Ian Darrenkamp

© Ian Darrenkamp 2012

First Edition

All Rights Reserved

Published in Philadelphia by Student Copying Services. Wachman Hall, Temple University.

Book Design and Photography by Ian Darrenkamp

This book is dedicated to Master Paul Mimidis

CONTENTSIntroduction......................

Sae Kye Hyungs...............

Pyung Ahns......................

Bassai...............................

Naihanchi Cho Dan..........

Bong Forms......................

9

11

25

47

53

59

Introductionon me. I thought, “Man, those gloves are pretty neat. I bet you could get some pretty cool timed exposures using them.” And then I remembered what I had done over the summer experimenting with glow sticks and my bo-staff in my backyard. So I decided to fine tune things.

I got a bunch of different glow sticks that were basically ropes. I taped a pair of orange ones on each of my legs. I used a pair of blue ones for each of my arms. I wrapped green one around my head and then used green sticks for the ends of my bo-staff when I was using that. I also taped a blue glowstick on the back of each of my hands, as well as taping orange sticks to the top of each foot. I wanted to be able to track each movement I made.

With the help of my brother Ryan and Aaron, we scheduled a night to go to a remote setting (the Darrenkamp’s Elizabethtown store) and create these photographs. Needless to say, it was a long night.

At the suggestion of Dr. Trayes, I not only recorded the entirety of each form, but five-second intervals of each form so that the viewer would be able to see not only how the form unfolds, but how the many pieces become the larger photograph.

So after many hours organizing the images, editing them, and putting them into book form (pun totally intended), here it is: Light Forms.

Fun fact: I’m a black belt in karate. I took karate at Mimidis Karate in Lancaster, PA for a grand total of seven years. Karate taught me a lot of the things I know today about life, self-control, respect, etc. But that’s not the point of this.

The type of karate I took is called Tang Soo Do (tang soo doh). Throughout the course of training, we learn these things called forms. Forms are, in a nutshell, choreographed techniques. Very much like a dance. Except instead of dancing, you’re blocking and striking as though your life was threatened by a hoard of people attacking you. At least, that’s supposedly the scenario.

In any case, these forms are really beautiful in their own way, and it dawned on me one afternoon over the summer that, “Hey, there’s got to be a way for me to capture this in photographic form.” It was a chance for me to create something truly me: combining my expertise of two different things into one. You just can’t make anyone who takes photographs perform these forms on the spot. You also can’t just take any person who knows karate and teach them how to capture the images the way I did right away.

So I experimented a bit over the summer and discovered that using orange, blue, and green glow sticks with long exposures seemed to work really well (I decided on those colors not just because they create a lot of contrast, but also because of a camera’s sensors detect red, blue and green light. Made sense to use just those, right?)

When it came time to come up with my second personal book for my photo seminar course, this wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind. It was only when I want to an Umphrey’s McGee concert in February and saw a girl with gloves with glowing/blinking fingertips that it dawned

10

Sae Kye HyungsSae Kye Hyung ( say kee hyung ), literally translates to “basic form.” These forms are taught to beginner belts to learn the basic techniques.

sae kye hyung il bu (il boo)

Created by: Hwang KeeYear: 1947Where: Seoul, South KoreaForm Moves: 20

sae kye hyung e bu (ee boo)


sae kye hyung sam bu (sahm boo)


opposite: (clockwise starting with the top left)

The progression of Sae Kye Hyung Il Bu in Five-Second

Increments.

next page: Sae Kye Hyung Il Bu in its entirety from two different angles (straight on

and from 20-feet high looking down).

12

opposite: (clockwise starting with the top left)

The progression of Sae Kye Hyung E Bu in Five-Second

Increments.

next page: Sae Kye Hyung E Bu in its entirety from two different angles (straight on

and from 20-feet high looking down).

16

opposite: (clockwise starting with the top left) The

progression of Sae Kye Hyung Sam Bu in Five-Second

Increments.

next page: Sae Kye Hyung Sam Bu in its entirety from two

different angles (straight on and from 20-feet high looking

down).

20

24

Pyung Ahn FormsThe Pyung Ahn (pyung ahn) symbols are Chinese characters. The first character (Pyung), looks very similar to a scale. This reprensts balance, calm, and peace. The “ahn” symbol is synonomous with safe, confident and comfortable. When a pupil masters the Pyung Ahn forms, they embody the meanings of these characters in the sense that they feel peace and confidence (or, “pyung ahn”). This happens through their patience and hard work in learning these forms.

pyung ahn sah dan (sah dahn)

Created by: Master Idos Year: 1870Where: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 22

pyung ahn oh dan (oh dahn)


pyung ahn sam dan (sahm dahn)


The animal representation of Pyung Ahn forms is the turtle. This animal lives in a state of constant peace and confidence. Its actions are always slow and deliberate. It presents an impression of calm, comfort, and peace. Upon being attacked, it can withdraw into its shell keeping it safe from harm

pyung ahn cho dan(cho dahn)


pyung ahn e dan (ee dahn)


25

above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung

Ahn Cho Dan in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Pyung Ahn Cho Dan in its entirety from two different angles

(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).

26

above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung Ahn

E Dan in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Pyung Ahn E Dan in its entirety from two different angles


30


Ahn Sam Dan in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Pyung Ahn Sam Dan in its entirety from two different angles


34


Ahn Sah Dan in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Pyung Ahn Sah Dan in its entirety from two different angles


38

above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung Ahn

Oh Dan in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Pyung Ahn Oh Dan in its entirety from two different angles


42

46

BassaiBassai ( bah-s-eye), is significant because it is the first form over 50 moves in the World Tang Soo Do Association. Its represented by the Cobra. It’s fast, collected, a selection of the best choice of moves. Advance belts learn this form and it is a one that is done particulalry often. At black belt camps, Grand Master Shin is known to have attendees perform this form over and over again along to the beat of a drum for over an hour.

Fast. Precise. Powerful. Bassai.

bassaiCreated by: unknownYear: Late 16th CenturyWhere: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 52

following page (clockwise from top left across the spread): The progression of Bassai in five-second intervals

after: Bassai in its entirety from two different angles (straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).

52

Naihanchi Cho Dan

naihanchi cho dan

Created By: Master Jang Song KyeYear: 1100’sWhere: Northern ChinaForm Moves: 27

Naihanchi Cho Dan (na-hawn-chee cho dahn) is known as the form that signifies a warrior on horseback. This is the case since the form is entirely done in a stance that’s known as a hors-riding stance, where the legs are spread beyond shoulder width and slightly bent at the knees (as though riding a horse)

What also makes this form unique is the fact there is only lateral movement. That makes the two views of the form being performed in its entirety look nearly identical.

54

above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Naihanchi

Cho Dan in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Naihanchi Cho Dan in its entirety from two different angles


58

Bong Forms

bong form e bu

Created By: Master Jang Song KyeYear: 1983Where: Philadelphia, PAForm Moves: 28

These are my personal favorite forms to do, and they are not what you think they are. Bong (aka “staff”) forms are taught to advanced students who’ve had almost two years of train-ing. Basically, these forms are the same as the previous forms when it comes to the princples. Only difference is with these, you’re swinging around a staff as tall as you are for various strikes and blocks, as well.

bong form il bu

Created By: Grand Master ShinYear: 1983Where: Philadelphia, PAForm Moves: 23

60

above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Bong

Form Il Bu in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Bong Hyung Il Bu in its entirety from two different angles


above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Bong

Form E Bu in Five-Second Increments.

next page: Bong Hyung E Bu in its entirety from two different angles


64

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Light Forms